Committee hears testimony on bill to require surgical smoke evacuation policies
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Summary
The House Health Policy Committee heard testimony on HB 4779, which would require health facilities to adopt policies for surgical smoke evacuation; nurses described daily exposure to plume they said can contain toxic chemicals and particles that standard surgical masks do not filter.
The House Health Policy Committee heard testimony on House Bill 4779 on surgical smoke on Feb. 19, 2025. The bill would require hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to develop and implement policies to use smoke evacuation systems during smoke-generating procedures, while allowing facilities flexibility on product choice and policy details.
Representative Wenzel, the bill sponsor, framed the proposal as a worker-safety measure to address surgical smoke plume produced when surgeons use electrocautery, lasers or other heat-generating instruments. "This bill simply requires health facilities performing these procedures to develop and implement a policy for using smoke evacuation systems," the sponsor said.
Witnesses from industry and clinical practice described the hazard. Ben Frederick of Stryker demonstrated a portable evacuation unit and told the committee that the plume contains priority pollutants and microscopic particles "a standard surgical mask does not solve." Frederick and nurse witnesses said research equates the smoke produced in an average operating-room shift to roughly "27 to 30 cigarettes." He urged point-of-origin evacuation, saying the devices "evacuate the smoke right at the point of cauterization."
Operating-room nurses described health effects and gaps in consistent use. Ellie Kircher, a certified OR nurse, said staff experience headaches, nausea and chronic respiratory complaints tied by witnesses to repeated smoke exposure. "The hospital where I work currently has all the equipment needed to evacuate the smoke but without policy or law, I as a staff nurse in the room have very little to no say of whether or not a smoke evacuation device is used," Kircher said.
Michelle Schafer, an OR nurse educator, cited clinical literature and agency guidance in listing plume constituents including benzene, formaldehyde and bioaerosols and urged uniform policy so staff and patients are protected. "We have been breathing this problem for too long, and it's time to clear the air," she said.
Committee members asked practical questions about prevalence, costs and clinical fit. Presenters cited a survey by AORN that they said showed about 97% of operating rooms in Michigan have some evacuation equipment, and gave a cost range for capital units of roughly $2,000 to $5,000 and disposables at about $14 to $23 per procedure. When asked who decides during a case whether to use the device, witnesses replied that the surgeon currently makes that call.
Industry and ambulatory-surgery representatives testified neutrally and urged careful drafting. Jessica Rodriguez, vice president of the Michigan Ambulatory Surgery Association, and clinical director Kara Erickson said many facilities already use the technology but warned a strict one-size-fits-all requirement could harm access for certain low-reimbursement office procedures; they suggested facility-level policy guidance and exemptions for low-plume cases.
No committee vote on HB 4779 was recorded in the transcript. Committee members said they would continue working with the sponsor on language, balancing staff safety with implementation concerns in smaller clinics.
Next steps: The committee concluded testimony and moved along the agenda; the transcript does not record a committee vote on HB 4779.
